Archive for October, 2010

A Rare Special Frugal Activity With My Son

October 26th, 2010

 

Meteor

Meteor Showers

Last night, my son semi-excitedly asked me if I want to watch a meteor shower.  That day, I was pretty ragged, not sleeping much because of computer problems I’ve been having for the last few days.  I could have said, no thanks son, I’m too tired… but I didn’t, and here’s why!

  • It’s rare that my son ask me to do things with him, so when he does, I try very hard to make it happen with him.
  • There are only so many meteor showers during the year, and if it’s overcast or the moon is too bright, then there are even less opportunities.
  • It’s a great frugal activity, we just sit in a couple of chairs each of us wrapped in our own blankets (if it’s cold like last night) and just look up in the sky and joke around.
  • Letting my son come up with a plan and following it through, helps him build his confidence and makes him feel more like a leader and decision maker!
  • It’s actually kind of fun to see the meteors zip across the sky!  In the half an hour that we were out there, I saw about 10, and my son saw about 30.  At one point, he saw three at once!  His eyes are faster than mine so he’s able to see and react more quickly.

After having such a great positive experience, the next time, I think I’ll make popcorn and prepare some warn beverage if it’s cold like last night, perhaps hot chocolate and hot tea.  If time permits, perhaps we’ll even build a campfire in the backyard.  Starting a campfire is one of his favorite things to do.

-MR

Getting that Debt Monkey Off Of Your Back

October 25th, 2010

Getting that Debt Monkey Off Of Your Back

The following post is part of a series thought of by the blogger at First Gen American.com, and the basic idea is to tie personal finance with primates.

Do you have a Debt Monkey on your back?  I think it’s time to get it off, don’t you?

I had a debt monkey on my back, and although it was an expensive one, I also consider it a friendly, helpful one.  I consider the monkey on my back friendly because it helped to kept me warm and away from the elements.  It also put stability in my kid’s lives and make them happy.  It’s name was “Home Mortgage“, and after 10 years it went away quietly and peacefully.  In some ways I kind of miss it and the predictability of its existence.  I’d say my monkey was equivalent to a Curious George type of monkey…  Friendly and helpful, but also expensive in ways.

While my encounter with debt was pleasant, I have one friend (Mr Penny), that has a debt monkey the size of “King Kong“.  The amount of debt wasn’t much different that mine (over $100,000), the problems is that his “King Kong” debt monkey isn’t friendly at all and doesn’t help improve my friend’s finances.  His monkey’s name is “Credit Card” debt!  Credit Card debt is often times a one hit spending wonder!  It give you pleasure the moment you borrow the money to purchase something, but then after the initial purchase, you have diminishing returns.  The only way to keep this monkey happy is then to buy some other new expensive toy.  And the process continues until some owners of this type of monkey has caused 6 figure debt accumulation (not a good place to be)!

A better approach is to control your debt but live a balanced life!  Don’t let your monkey become a monster that runs crazy in the city buying whatever may get in its way!

Well, I’ve monkied around enough with this post…

What kind of monkey do you have on your back, or grabbing for your wallet?

-MR

MR Cache 2010, Oct 24 – Visiting Family, The Brief Edition

October 24th, 2010

Weekly Thoughts:

This weekend I’m visiting my sister’s family so this will be a shorter than usually post.  There were some great articles out there that I will miss today!  If you want a great list, go to www.Yakezie.com or www.wisebread.com for a great list of articles to check out.

Next week, I”ll do a fuller list!..

My Brief Favorite Reads of the Week:

Watson, Inc –  Second Chance Round Up with Uncommon Money News - Roshawn talks about a guy that was destined to be successful.  But messed it up, and is now stable and has the potential to be like Dave Ramsey.

Everyday Thoughts and TipsVaccinations – What a Catch 22! - Everyday Tips brings up a great point about vaccinations and versus the causes of altruism.  Check it out for her take!

Budgeting in the Fun Stuff –  Okay, I Am Being Debt Judgmental - I don’t think I would choose someone like BIFS describes.  Am I shallow?  You decided.

My Favorite Post from the Week:

I got to write about the financial independence similarities between personal finance and ”
The Shawshank Redemption – A Personal Finance Story“.  I had a lot of fun writing about it!

Funny Money – Comic 3 – MR PF Gets Scared

October 23rd, 2010

Previous: Funny Money – Comic 2
Next: Mr. Penny Learning Finances

Comic Strip Notes:

Well, this week I devolved the comic strip a bit due to time…  I’ve had some computer problems, and I’m going out of town this weekend.

I’m still learning the ropes around GIMP, just creating the ovals for bubble text was a struggle for me…

I did incorporate a smiley face in MR representation.  I’m thinking about using a little of color in the next strip. 

For the next comic I’m going to do away with the text “Comic #”, I almost titled this one “Funny Money – MR PF Gets Scared”

It’s fun, and I’m learning.

-MR

Previous Comic:  
Funny Money – Comic 2

Sun Life Financial of Canada

October 22nd, 2010

Sun Life Financial of Canada

They say that when it comes to money, people get particularly anxious and the simple thought of losing their savings and/or earnings is enough to let fear take over.

But why do we allow fear to keep us from seizing opportunities?

Well, in the first place, finance is no child’s play. Being a very complex, risky and dynamic field, it needs to be studied, analyzed and understood, before one can use it to their advantage.

However, not everyone can dedicate their life to understanding finance, which is why there are a number of reliable and trust-worthy financial services companies out there that can take good care of your interests by opting for safe, yet lucrative solutions.

Sun Life Financial of Canada is one of these financial security providers.

With its worldwide presence in 24 countries, its mission is to guide and assist its customers, catering to their financial and personal needs.

In fact, Sun Life Financial of Canada offers a wide range of products and services, including flexible retirement solutions (pensions), protection plans and investment consultancy.

However, the company has recently switched its focus from investors to rather calm savers, helping them achieve tranquility and peace of mind, by offering them specific products, depending on their age, expectations, plans and personal needs.

Over the last decade, international markets have experienced a strong volatility due to a number of unexpected changes the global economy has gone through. That explains the lack of balance between growth and recession which influences both share and bond values, as well as customers’ confidence in financial markets.

So, considering the present circumstances, what can Sun Life Financial of Canada do for savers?

From a psychological point of view, it guarantees stability, security, flexibility, safety and peace of mind. For you to be in total control of your savings and earnings, you will get to choose the funds you want to invest your money in whilst being assisted by an experienced adviser.

For instance, should you want to make the most out of the pension pot you have built throughout the years, the company suggests you opt for i2Live, an innovative pension plan that enables retired people to freely withdraw the amount they need whenever they like, while an insurance company would only provide them with a fixed income that can not be renegotiated.

Needless to say that being i2Live solutions invested in funds, they might go up and down, but there is nothing to worry about since Sun Life will make sure that your income does not drop below a certain amount that you will discuss with your personal adviser.

Returning to protection and stability, the company offers another innovative product called Financial Foundations, which allows its holders to be covered in case of disability and critical illness. Moreover, it provides income and elderly care cover, as well as great flexibility.

And, if you live in the UK, you will be glad to know that Sun Life launched its UK brand in March 2010, after having acquired Lincoln National Corporation.

For any other information, go to Sun Life Financial of Canada and find out more about Sun Life and its products.

As normal readers might have surmised, today article was a guest post provided by Vera Grigorova.  Thanks for the information Vera!

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